Thermal runaway in a battery occurs when rising battery cell temperatures initiate chain reactions that accelerate chemical reactions in the battery, further contributing to the rapid release of thermal energy. Thermal runaway may be triggered by insufficient cooling of battery cells during operation of the battery. Thermal runaway may also be triggered by other events, such as short circuits, mechanical shock, extreme temperature exposure, manufacturing defects, etc. During a thermal runaway event, hot gases and other flammable materials may escape from the battery cells. If not properly managed, the escaped gases may result in a fire or explosion.
High power lithium-ion batteries are often more prone to thermal runaway than other types of batteries. As such, there is a need for thermal runaway management systems for high-power lithium-ion batteries. There is a general desire for apparatus, systems and methods that assist with managing thermal runaway and gas exhaust from a battery cell, module and/or system.